Introduction of the GIGABYTE X99 UD5 WIFI

Having just looked at the MSI X99S GAMING 9 AC and finding ourselves extremely impressed with what MSI is offering, today we move to our first X99 offering from GIGABYTE to see what their company can bring to the table. Coming in at over $100 cheaper, the UD5 we're looking at today might just be a better option for you if you don't want to completely blow open your bank account.

I don't feel there's a need to say a whole lot here. If you're interested in jumping to the new X99 platform, then chances are you've been following reviews of motherboards, DDR4, and CPUs quite closely, and have a good understanding of what's going on. So, with that in mind, let's jump straight into our review on the GIGABYTE X99 UD5 WIFI, and see exactly what is inside this very large box.

Package - What comes inside the box

Looking at the front of the box, you can see we have a big push for the Ultra Durable feature, which not only shows in the middle of the box, but also at the top with the GIGABYTE logo, and the bottom with the model number being shown clearly. Opening up the box, you can see we've got a darkened picture of the motherboard highlighting the heat sink design, while on the right side we get a better look at the motherboard.

The back of the box is the busiest area, featuring the model number and Ultra Durable logos, along with a look at the motherboard, and some of the main features on the right side. Taking a closer look at the left hand side, we can see just what the Ultra Durable feature brings to the table.

Starting with Performance, we have a new generation IR Digital Power Design, 4-Way SLI and CrossFire support, Dual M.2 connectors for SSD or onboard Wi-Fi, along with Dual Intel Gigabit LAN. Below that, you can see the box also highlights SATA ports, and HD audio with built-in rear audio amplifier. Moving from Performance, we've got Durability, which sees Cooper Bussmann Server Level Chokes, long lifespan solid capacitors, and gold-plated CPU, DDR4, and PCIe slots.

Safety considerations include DualBIOS support, Q-Flash Plus USB port, along with a safer designed around the screw mounting holes. Finally, we finish up with appearance, which sees a LED lit I/O shield and heat sink design. Along with all of this, we can see the back I/O plate with descriptions to everything, along with the specification table hidden in the corner. We'll cover all of this on the next page, when we take a closer look at the board itself.

Moving on to the bundle inside the box, we've got a pair of manuals, along with two Driver CDs; although, only one Driver CD shows here. We've also got a rear I/O panel that lights up via the connected cable, along with six braided SATA III cables, and a one to three power cable.

Along with all of the normal connectors, you can see we've got four SLI connectors supporting four-way, three-way in two configurations, and two-way. We've also got a single CrossFire bridge included. Finally, we finish up with the antenna that pairs with the Wi-Fi capabilities of the board; we'll get a more in-depth look at this on the next page.

PRICING: You can find the GIGABYTE X99 UD5 WIFI for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

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